Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.     

Causal loop diagrams as a de-escalation technique

Escalation of commitment, the tendency of decision makers to keep on investing in losing courses of action, has been shown to be a costly decision bias that affects many areas of decision making. Even though escalation is a widely studied phenomenon, there has been comparatively little research on how to avoid this bias. The present study focuses on de-escalation of commitment and proposes that causal loop diagrams (CLDs) can help to decrease escalating commitment to a failing course of action. By means of an experiment, this study shows that using a CLD decreases escalation tendencies.     

Reactions of 9-substituted guanines with bromomalondialdehyde in aqueous solution predominantly yield glyoxal-derived adducts

Reactions of 9-ethylguanine, 2'-deoxyguanosine and guanosine with bromomalondialdehyde in aqueous buffers over a wide pH-range were studied. The main products were isolated and characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR and mass spectroscopy. The final products formed under acidic and basic conditions were different, but they shared the common feature of being derived from glyoxal. Among the 1 : 1 adducts, 1,N(2)-(trans-1,2-dihydroxyethano)guanine adduct (6) predominated at pH < 6 and N(2)-carboxymethylguanine adduct (10a,b) at pH > 7. In addition to these, an N(2)-(4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methylene adduct (11a,b) and an N(2)-carboxymethyl-1,N(2)-(trans-1,2-dihydroxyethano)guanine adduct (12) were obtained at pH 10. The results of kinetic experiments suggest that bromomalondialdehyde is significantly decomposed to formic acid and glycolaldehyde under the conditions required to obtain guanine adducts. Glycolaldehyde is oxidized to glyoxal, which then modifies the guanine base more readily than bromomalondialdehyde. Besides the glyoxal-derived adducts, 1,N(2)-ethenoguanine (5a-c) and N(2),3-ethenoguanine adducts (4a-c) were formed as minor products, and a transient accumulation of two unstable intermediates, tentatively identified as 1,N(2)-(1,2,2,3-tetrahydroxypropano)(8) and 1,N(2)-(2-formyl-1,2,3-trihydroxypropano)(9) adducts, was observed.     

Synthesis and Diels-Alder Reactions of a New Kind of Chiral Dienophiles: Cyclic Vinyl-p-tolylsulfilimines

A new kind of chiral dienophiles, cyclic vinyl-p-tolylsulfilimines (2a and 2b), were obtained from the corresponding (Z)-sulfinylacrylonitriles with HBF(4) and methanol. The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of optically pure 2a with cyclopentadiene under mild thermal or catalyzed conditions afforded only the endo-4a adduct with complete endo and pi-facial selectivities. The ability of the sulfilimine moiety to enhance the dienophilic reactivity of the double bond is similar to that of the sulfinyl group.     

Phase diagrams of lyotropic cholesteric fluids

Experimental investigations of lyotropic cholesterics fluids are presented which show that changes in the shape anisotropy and chirality of the micellar population determine the topology of the temperature-concentration phase diagrams. For given amounts of the substances which induce the chirality and modify the shape anisotropy of the micelles, two distinct biaxial cholesteric phases are disclosed in the phase diagrams. This is interpreted in the framework of the catastrophe theory of phase transitions.